The word "grass" is most often associated with green turf and clumps of narrow long leaves decorated with spike plumes, not necessarily with exotic plants with stiff, woody stems several meters long or even higher.And after all, bamboo is the tallest of the grasses, many species of which grow perfectly well in our conditions.
Some plants can reach a height of up to 10 m. It is enough to provide them with the best living conditions in an area with a milder microclimate. Then we will see in our own garden how fast they grow.It's hard to believe that a bamboo shoot can reach its final length of several meters within a few weeks.
This feature has made bamboo an excellent utility plant in its Asian homeland for many centuries, used in many ways and for various purposes. Hard woody shoots are used to make furniture, floor boards, parquet floors, art and household items, water pipes, various types of scaffolding and much more.
Despite its exotic origin, many bamboo species feel good in Europe. The first specimens were found on our continent at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, about 400 species and varieties are cultivated, 300 of which are temperate climate plants (according to pl.bambooselect.com).Tall, low and ground-cover bamboos can be planted in the garden as hedges or solitary clumps.Dense shrubs look nice in large containers.
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Attractive evergreen plants only lack beautiful flowering. The ineffective, spiked flowers of many bamboos develop once in many years, and quite unexpectedly.All plants of the same genus or species bloom all over the world and then most often die. Only seeds can save them. That's what happened with bamboos in the 1990s. It is difficult to predict when the flowering catastrophe will repeat itself, but for this reason it is not worth giving up the cultivation of these interesting grasses.
The advantage of fargesis is the complete lack of runners. This feature simplifies the care of bamboos. Many species create underground stolons that spread throughout the garden.Their expansion is troublesome as new shoots may appear in different parts of the plot.The best way to keep bamboos in check is to surround the clump with a barrier dug into the ground, which will prevent the rhizomes from growing in all directions.
Grass kept in check
Underground rhizomes of some species will not spread if we surround the plant's root with a barrier, e.g.made of a special strong foil, 2 mm thick. The plastic should be dug to a depth of 65-95 cm. The top edge must be at least 5 cm above the ground. We connect the vertical edges with a metal rail.Dried shoots of higher species should be cut just above the ground.
In the case of low bamboos, shorten all the blades significantly in the spring. In hot weather and longer frosts, water the plants with lukewarm water. Excess moisture is harmful!Plants are fed with special fertilizer.Bamboos feel best in not very compact sandy loam soil.
Hedges and clumps of bamboo
Bamboo is sensitive to a lack of moisture in summer and frost.Soil drought is especially harmful to young specimens with undeveloped root systems.That is why it is worth planting them in the spring, so that they develop a lot of strong roots by winter.
In early summer, bamboos can shed quite a lot of leaves. The reason is not dry ground.In June and July, new stalks sprout from the ground.Plants need to get rid of older leaves to balance their life processes.Bamboos lose their leaves all year round and this phenomenon only briefly worsens. Fallen leaves rot, increasing the amount of humus. The bamboo shoots can be trimmed. Pruning is needed when, for example, the appearance of a bamboo hedge is spoiled by new shoots growing over the old ones.
Species which shoots are leafy along their entire length are best suited for a hedge, eg Phyllostachys bissetii, a plant with a compact habit and dense leaves. New shoots grow very quickly and are initially devoid of leaves. We shorten overgrown leaves when they develop leaves from the ground to the top. The trimmed shoot will no longer grow.Therefore, cutting a hedge is not a time-consuming operation, nor does it require a lot of effort.Side shoots are shortened with a secateurs.
